The consequences for women of current constructions of sexuality are not matters of benign variations in satisfaction or convenience. There is a dark side that operates to exclude and marginalize women by virtue of demeaning harassment and implicit as well as explicit threats to physical safety. In chapter 13, Kurth, Spiller, and Travis explore the power of prevailing sexual scripts to bypass consent and to divert power away from women. The authors argue that the meaning and significance of harassment has to do primarily with power, but that this power dynamic is frequently disguised from both parties. It is disguised from women to the extent that men control the meaning of social discourse, and it may be disguised from men in a motivated way because it allows men to engage in behavior that would otherwise be labeled as reprehensible. Issues of consent are explored in more detail in chapter 14 in the growing incidence of acquaintance rape. Donat and White argue that social and legal definitions of rape, constructed from a male perspective, deny women a voice in labeling and explaining rape. Finally, in chapter 15, Kahn and Mathie take up the seeming anomaly of the unacknowledged rape victim. Nonconsensual intercourse is a widespread phenomenon and may not rely so much on threat or force as the strategy whereby men simply ignore their victims and “just do it.” The authors review data that indicate that date and acquaintance rape are widespread and that the victims do not consciously acknowledge a high percentage of these incidents. Failure among the women themselves to recognize and label such events as violations, despite the fact that they meet legal definitions of rape, has myriad consequences, not the least of which is that the assailant is likely to engage in additional sexual assaults on other women. These issues of physical safety and sexual consent hold vast significance for the well-being of women. If women are going to speak and act with authority, they must be psychologically and emotionally free to do so. Availing themselves of the right to be knowers and doers should not require them to risk physical and emotional violence.
There is a woeful lack of dialogue or scholarship on the social context of sexuality. Absent, but badly needed, is a drawing back to look at sexuality in social context as it is evidenced for both the individual and society. There is a pressing need for scholars to be actively involved in the formulation of conceptual models, the development of appropriate methods of inquiry, and the bringing forth of knowledge in this area. In this book we will frame the direction of scholarly efforts to develop a knowledge base relevant to science, educational practice, and public policy issues. A major benefit will be to focus the attention of researchers and scholars and to provide them with a platform from which to pursue their programs of related research. The volume has the potential to influence practice in a variety of ways, because it will educate clinicians about some of the primary issues women face about their sexuality.
The volume will contribute to the development of an integrated body of scholarly research and will provide an arena for the discussion and sharing of newly emerging approaches that offer better understanding of gender, sexuality, and culture. Taking stock of what we know (and don’t know) on these topics can be enriched by integrating findings from other disciplines.
The volume will serve primarily as a reference for scholars, academics, and practitioners in the field of psychology at the advanced undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels, and also will be relevant to audiences in the field of women’s studies and sociology. As in other feminist works, this volume is geared toward creating change. Thus, it is hoped that those who read it will be inspired to pursue change in research endeavors, professional applications, and